Sleeping-car



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1. P. M MELIOK.

SLEEPING GAR. No. 245,004. Patented'Aug. 2,1881.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

1 M. MELICK. SLEEPING CAR.

Patented Aug. 2, 1881.

i i a J UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

PETER M. liIELIOK, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

SLEEPING-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 245,004, dated August 2, 1881.

Application filed May 28, 1881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PETER M. MELIoK, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Newark, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seats for Sleeping- (Jars, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

My invention relates to certain improvements in seats for sleeping-cars; and it consists, first, in a special construction for the platform and cushions of the seats, whereby the latter are adapted to form a continuous couch, when operated as herein described;

. secondly, in a pillow of peculiar construction,

adapted to separate the heads and feet of the adjacent occupants; thirdly, in a catch of special construction for securing the backs of the seats in a horizontal position.

My invention will be understood by reference to the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view of the interior of a car provided with my improvements, looking toward the side of the car, the view embracing three seats. Fig. 2 is a plan of three seats, with the backs entirely removed and theframes for the cushions exhibited without upholstery, to show their construction more clearly. Fig. 3 is a plan of three seats, two of them having their backsupturned and secured by catches upon the side'of the car, as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an end elevation or view of a seat with its cushion. partly, opened, a part of the floor of the car being shown in section, as well as the side of the car up to the window-sill. Fig. 5 is a side view, and Fig. 6 an end view, of my improved pillow; and Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are front, edge, and plan views, respectively, of one of the catches for securing the back in i a horizontal position.

In Fig. 1 the seat at the right side of the figure is shown prepared as for use duringthe day, A A being two cushions hinged together at their rear edges; B, the swinging back, hinged by braces b to the arm 0 in the usual manner; D, aplatform for the seat-cushions, having an arm, secured to the floor by legs d, and supported at its inner end by cleats d, or in any suitable manner. The cushion of the seat is adapted to bridge over the space (No model.)

between the adjacent platforms by constructin g it in two equal parts, the lower one being pivoted to the platform near one corner, so that when it is turned at right angles to its normal position the free end may swing over and rest upon the adjoining platform and the cushionoccupy one-half the width of the seat or platform until opened by its hinges a, as shown at the left side of Fig. 2.

The frames of the two hinged parts A A are lettered f f in Fig. 2, and the pivot provided in the corner of the lower frame is indicated at p.

To permit the cushion and its frame to turn upon the pivot without interference in its movements from the arm 0 and side of the car, as at E, the corner near the pivot and the opposite end of the cushion-frame are rounded, as at r, in a curve concentric with the pivot.

With this construction it will readily be seen that when the backs B are raised and secured in a horizontal position the seats can be rapidly turned into the positions required to form a continuous couch, requiring merely the addition of pillows and coverings, as in other cases.

It will be observed that the surfaces exposed to wear during the night areentirely concealed during the day by the folding of the hinged parts A A together, and that the durability of the cushions and their cleanness are thereby promoted to the utmost extent. In like manner it will be seen that the backs B are exposed to wear upon opposite sides during the night and day, as their rear side-becomes the surface of the couch when turned upward, as shown in Fig. 1.

The catch I have devised is indicated in Fig. 1 in a Vertical position at s, and arranged to operate horizontally at t.

The backs are provided at each of their corners contiguous to the side of the ear with a bolt-head or stud, e, which is shown in the drawings upon the upper and lower corners of the back, shown turned down at the righthand side of Fig. 1.

The catch consists of a notched slide, a, mounted in a frame secured to the side of the car, and is shown enlarged in Figs. 7, 8, and 9, and is indicated in Fig. 1 at t as secured to the side of the car in a proper location to lock the extreme right end of the back when turned up. The enlarged view in Fig.8 also exhibits the end of a back, 13, with its bolt-head 0 engaged in the notched slide a.

1n the enlarged views the body of the catch is lettered s, and consists of a plate of metal provided with ribs 2', adapted to guide a notched slide and afford it a sufficient movement endwise between the ribs to engage with the bolthead 0. A thumb-piece, w, is secured to one end of the slide to move it, and a set-screw, x, is provided in the slide or rib to hold it temporarily out of the way when the back B is being moved into position, after which the setscrew is loosened and the slide pushed over the head of the bolt. When arranged vertically the catches serve to prevent any lateral movement of the back 13, and when employed as at tin Fig. 1 to prevent any yielding under the weight imposed upon the upper conch.

To provide for more convenient access to the lower couch, the arms 0 may be made partly removable, or adapted to slide or fold out of the way,as shown at gin Fig. 1, where a vertical brace, 71, is provided under the middle of the arm, to support the pin 1', upon which the brace b is pivoted, and the side piece of the arm is shown fitted to the vertical brace, and arranged to drop down to a level with the cushions, as indicated in dotted lines.

In place of the hinges used to join the cushion-frames, and lettered a in Fig. 2, the cushions may be joined by carpet and the material utilized to form their covers, thus affording a good wearing-surface for the couch and avoiding any projection of the hinges beyond the edges of the frames.

The pillow I have devised for use with the continuous couches described herein is shown at K in Fig. 1, and upon a larger scale in Figs. 5 and 6. The pillow consists of a case filled with hair or other stuffing, and having a board, 70, secured to its head, for holding a partition, 1, adapted to separate its user from the occupant of the adjoining couch. The partition 1 is hinged to the board 70, and may be turned down upon the face of the pillow when not in use, to facilitate storage.

By making the pillowease with a thin edge at the side opposite the board two of them can be packed very closely together, in the manner indicated by dotted lines at 0 in Fig. 6.

To secure the partition in a vertical position a catch, a, is attached to the same and arranged to engage a socket upon the board between the hinges m.

I am aware that it is not new to form a couch of the upturned backs of the seats in the manto convert the seats and backs both into couches without the use of auxiliary mattresses, and design my improvement as a substitute for the ordinary seats, when the same are to be used at night, and when the occupants would otherwise be unable to enjoy the relief of reclining at all, but would be compelled to remain in a sitting posture. Such cases frequently arise when cars reach their destination late at night, and when the occupants are unable to obtain the relief provided by my invention without the expense of taking the regularly-appointed sleeping-cars, which are usually very expensive. 1 do not therefore claim the use of the backs of the seats, broadly, for the purpose herein described, but only the improvement specified herein.

I aware that various means have been devised for adapting the cushions of car-seats to form a couch, as in Patent No. 204,848, issued June 11, 1878; but in such patent the backs and seats are hinged together, and are both employed in producing a sleeping-couch, while my invention is especially directed to the production of a couch by the use of the seat-cushions alonc, for which reason they are made double in respect to their thickness, so that when opened out they may cover space enough to form a complete couch on and between the seat-platforms. I therefore consider my seat construction different from that referred to, in respect to its being double, and in respect to its corners being rounded in the manner shown, which enables me to employ a pivot working in a round hole instead of in a slot, as in the patented invention referred to above.

Having thus fully described the nature and operation of my invention, I clairn the same as follows:

1. In a car-seat convertible into a sleepingcouch as herein described, the combination of two cushions, A A, built upon frames f f, with a pivot fitted to one frame and the platform D near one end of the seat, the cushions havingtheirdiagonally-opposedcorners rounded concentric with the pivot, and operated by turning lengthwise of the car and unfolding, in the manner shown and described.

2. The pillow for a continuous couch, constructed, substantially as shown and described, of the cushion or stuffed case K, the board k, and partition 1 hinged thereto, and provided with means for securing it in a vertical position, as herein fully set forth.

3. The catch :consisting of the notched slide a, mounted upon plate 3 by ribs 11, and operated in combination with the stud 6 upon the back B, substantially as herein described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PETER M. MELICK. Witnesses:

THOS. S. CRANE, WM. DIETZ.

IOO 

